Rotary cultivator unit



March 6, 1945.

D. H. CLARK ROTARY CULTIVATOR UNIT Original Filed April 10, 1942 aw'wvmim/ 13012.16. C'Zarb m ML M Patented Mar. 6, 1945 umrso STATE-S PATENT: OFFICE;

. A zgs vd'iv'i' RorARYcULTIvAroa UNIT Donald H. Clark, Sacramento, Calif". Original application-April 10; 1942. Serial No." 438,369. Divided and this applicationlanuary 13,1943, Seria1No."472,222

Claims. (01. 97-215 This invention relates to rotary Cultivators, and is particularly a division of my co-pending application for patent, Serial No. 438,369,filed April 10, 1942. i

Any such rotary cultivator will naturally throw considerable dirt into the surrounding air and if such dirt is light and dry and is not properly confined, it tends to cover the adjacent portion of the machine and has a detrimental abrasive action on the working parts, besides making very sleeve, and ground working elements of suitable character, here shown as includingshanks 4rigid with and projecting 'from the sleeve and having transverse ground engaging blades 5 on their outer end. The shaft and sleeve are shouldered as at S beyond the bearings toflocate the latter against inward movementtoward each other.

The shaft "I projects beyondthe' endsof the sleeve and-at each end is formed with a reduced poor working conditions for the operatorQboth as respects his comfort and visibility, if the wind is blowing. V I

An important object of the invention therefore is toprovide a hood for each unit so mounted as to completely enclose the dirt thrown about by the rotary cultivating elements, and so that it may rotate axially of the cultivating elements and relative thereto, in such manner 'as to confine fall of the dirt regardless-of ground conditions. This feature also enables the straight lower edge of the hood to remain parallel to the ground irrespective of the vertical adjustment of the cultivatorunit relative to the ground. t f

The rotary cultivator includes an axial shaft supported by radial tension arms and a sleeve turnable on the shaft, the cultivator teeth or other ground engaging elements being mounted'onfthe sleeve.

A further object is to provide means for elamp- ,1

ing the shaft and arms together, which also serve as supports for the hood onwhich the latter is turnable, so'that a simple compact and sturd assembly is provided.

Another object is to provide a unit so arranged that the bearings between the shaft and rotary sleeve are completely enclosed and protected both against abrasive wear from dust and the like and from possible damage by exterior objects.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure andrelative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawing similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved cultivator unit as mounted on a supporting vehicle.

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse section of the unit on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawing, the cultivator unit includes a central axial shaft I, a sleeve 2 turnable on ball 'or similar bearings 3 on the cular portionof the nut.

threaded'portionfi. "Tension arms '1 engagejthe reduced'shaft portions ii intermediate their ends; each arm being, clamped rigid'with' the shaft (which does not need to turn) by a spacer 8 on the shaft between the inner race of adjacent bearing .3 and the arm; ana'a nut 9 threaded on the shaft portion 6 and engaging the outer face of the arm. In orderto'protect the bearings and confine any lubricant within sleeve 2, sealing rings H] are dis posedbetweenthe.S acers '8 and the inner face of the'sleeve adjacent the ends ofthe latter, assh'own.

' The nut Sis shaped with a circular portionof reduced size projecting toward the arm, and

"forming a circumferential groove I l with the adjacent face of the arm, in which'groove a disc I2 is turnable; said disc'being supportedon the cir- The side plates l3 of a cultivator enclosing hood 14 re fixed on the discs l2, the plates and hood as'fa wholeprojecting some distance'rearwardly from the rotating unit and terminating a sulficient distance above the bottom of the latter to enable-the blades 5 to project the necessary working distance'below ground level. Vertically movable side extension plates or skirts 15 are mounted on the side plates l3 and substantially ride on the ground, the lower edge of said extension plates at the front sloping upwardly slightly as shown so as to avoid any abrupt corners. In order to allow the skirts to overlap the nuts 9 in protection wells flaring toward their outer end to allow of shaft some distance back from the ends of the the necessary relative swivel movement of the hood and arms about the shaft as an axis. It will .thus be seen that each rotary cultivator unit is completely enclosed, While the adjacent portion of the corresponding chain drive is protected from contact with dirt thrown about by the cultivating elements. It will also be seen that the hood is free to turn relative to the cultivator unit, while forming a means for engagement with a control and lifting device, whereby the entire unit may be raised or lowered.

In the p sent i stance the arms T extend upwardly at a-iorward slope toand: are turnable about a transverse shaft 20 supported from the frame 2| of a self-propelled vehicle, the chain drive It extending to and being driven from said shaft. Raising and lowering of the rotary cultivator' unit is controlled by a link zzcpivotallycon, nected to the top of the hood .anddepending from elements mounted thereon, arms engaging the shaft. outwardly of the sleeve, a pair of antifriction bearings between the sleeve and shaft ina counter-weighted lever mechanism .l3 preferably.

of the same type as shown in the aforesaidmen-= tioned copending application.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have. produced such a. device as substantially .fulfills theobiects of the invention as set forth herein.

While thisv specification sets .iorth n. det l t present and preferred. construction-of the device, sti n practice such deviations. fr m such d ta may be resorted, to as donot form a. departure from the spirit ofthe invention as defined y the appended claims. c

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to. secure by Letters'Patent is: i

1. In a rotary cultivatolfganaxial shaft, apull arm extendinairom. each end of the. shaft, a

sleeve turnable on the shafthetween the. arms.

n having cultivating elements, mounted there.- on, a, hood enclosing the. upper. portion. of the cultivator and including, Side. plates, means mounting the. side. plates for rotation about the shaft. as an axis, one plate being disposed laterally out from one arm, a sprocket on they sleeve adjacent saidv arm, a chain aboutsaid sprocket having spaced runs.extendine,,len thvlise of. said arm, the top of? the hood having an opening through which saidarmand the. chainruns p170- J'ect, andfa shield, about the. portion of thechain and arm within the hood, and. secured on and formed in part withthehood.

2. In a rotary cultivator, an axial shaft, a pull arm extending from each. end of the shait, a sleeve turnable on. the shait between the arms weirdly. of the. arms, each bearing comprising a shaft-engaging inner race and a sleeve-engaging cuter race,- means. holding the inner 'races of the bearinssaeainst' movement axially of the shaft and sleeve in a direction toward each other, spacers between the inner races of the bearings and. the-arms, and elements mounted on the shaft outwardly of the. arms and clamping the latter against .the spacers.

4. In a rotary cultivator, an axial shaft, pull arms extending from the shaft adjacent its ends, a. sleeve turnable on the shaft between the arms and having cultivating elements thereon, av hood enclosing the upper portion of the cultivator, members mounted on the shaft laterally out from the sleeve and including circular portions concentric with the shaft and side plate on the hood having orifices. concentric with the shaft through which the circular portions-of said members project in closefitting andrelative turnable relation.

5. In a rotary cultivator, an axial shaft, arms extending from the shaft adjacent its ends, a sleeve, turnable on the shaft between thearms andlhaving cultivating elements thereon, a hood enclosingthe upper portion of the cultivator, and including side; plate laterally out from the arms, arm, retaining members mounted on the shaft laterally 01.11 rom the arms and having reduced circular portions concentric with, the shaft on the side of'sald" members facing the arms and forming with the adjacent races of the arms, circular grooves concentric. with theshaft; the side plates, projecting into' the grooves and havin orificedelements fitting saidreduced circular portions in relatively turnable relation.

DQNALD H. CLARK. 

